1924 Indian Junior Roadster Model 150-H

INDIAN Bicycles are designed by the same engineers who are responsible for the world-famous INDIAN motorcycle. They are built with the same painstaking care and are backed by the same enviable reputation of the vast INDIAN factory.

Every piece of material used in construction of INDIAN bicycles is minutely examined and tested – every operation is watched by our engineers.

Every finished INDIAN Bicycle is a masterpiece of skilled mechanics, made possible by the best skill and knowledge of bicycle engineering.

INDIAN riders are proud in the possession of their INDIAN bicycles – proud in the knowledge that they are riding the finest that can be made.

INDIAN construction embodies many salient characteristics that are found only in INDIAN bicycles – features that are too costly to incorporate into inferior makes.

The INDIAN line of Bicycles embraces suitable models for everyone.

INDIAN dealers will gladly assist in selecting the model most adaptable to the rider’s build.

In the 1910s, American motorcycles were built for long-distance touring, and Harley Davidson and Indian captured the public imagination. As the motorcycle industry established itself, bicycle sales suffered, and the bicycle manufacturers now had to aim their products at young teenagers. Hendee Manufacturing Company, makers of Indian, designed a range of bicycles that looked like motorcycles. Now younger brothers could ride an Indian too!

This is definitely a ‘younger brother’ Indian bicycle. Its specifications were identical to the Men’s Roadster but, despite its full-size 28″ wheels, the 19″ ‘camelback’ style frame allowed it to be ridden by brothers with shorter legs.

1924 Indian Junior Roadster Model 150-H

19″ Frame

28″ Wheels

Kids up to twelve years of age or so rode dedicated juvenile bicycles such as ‘sidewalk’ bikes, or velocipede tricycles. But, already by this age, they were ready for adult styles of bicycles. Men’s bicycles had 22″ frames, so were still too tall for most kids.

A child’s bicycle with 20″ wheels usually has an 18″ frame. It was the use of the ‘camel back’ style of frame that made the larger style of bicycle suitable for teenagers, taking the frame length at the seat post down to 19″ …as in the ‘Junior Roadster’ introduced by Columbia and Indian.

This Indian ‘Junior Roadster’ is one of the rarest of the company’s models to find these days. With demand for Indian bicycles now outstripping supply, an industry grew up since the 1990s turning other bicycles made by the Davis Sewing Machine Co into replica Indians, using reproduction badges and parts. As you can see from this frame, it’s a genuine Indian, and it’s in good unrestored condition with original cosmetics. I’ve fitted 27″ pneumatic tyres onto the 28″ wooden rims.

Until 1924, the company was called Hendee Mfg Co. Below you can see two badges side by side: the 1918 Girls’ Indian has a Hendee badge, while the 1924 Boys’ Roadster’s badge is from the Indian Motocycle Co. Same company, different name.